Researchers take new approach to studying Greenland ice

Greenland Ice Sheet (Credit: Christine Zenino, Wikimedia Commons)

Greenland is losing lots of ice to the oceans, which makes significant contributions to global sea level rise, according to The Guardian. New research published in the journal Nature takes a novel approach to calculating its losses.

Instead of relying on just one method to make ice mass estimates, study authors combined mass-conservation calculations with actual measurements. They say the technique gives them better resolution of the thickness of Greenland glaciers and the shape of valleys beneath them.

When comparing their results with those from other studies, researchers found deep troughs around the edges of Greenland. These features, they say, were not previously known to exist.

Image: Greenland ice sheet (Credit: Christine Zenino, Wikimedia Commons)